What to Consider When You Plan to Install a Home Air Conditioner

If you have ever survived a hot summer without air conditioning in your home, you know how important it can be and the difference it makes in your physical comfort and mental status. The days can seem endless and the nights unbearable when you are without air conditioning, and you will try anything to keep cool, such as wearing wet clothing as you sit in front of a room fan.

When you need to cool your home in the summer, hire an air conditioner installation service to make sure you get the proper system installed in the right manner. Here are some questions to consider when you are shopping for a home air conditioner to keep you cool this summer.

What Type of AC Do You Need?

There are several types of air conditioners you can install in your home. Some air conditioners are easier to install as a do-it-yourself, and others require professional installation. For example, a whole-home air conditioner system is installed within your home's furnace and blower system. This type of air conditioner runs through your home's ductwork and delivers cold air to each room of your home.

Another type of air conditioner requiring professional installation is a ductless mini split system. This type of air conditioner is more compact and is permanently installed in an exterior wall of your home with the system's condenser outside and the cooling vent on the inside. This type of system is more efficient than some wall mounted systems and uses up less wall space because it is installed on the upper area of your home's wall.

You can also choose a non-permanent window installed air conditioner unit, which will take up space in your home's window and the view outside. A window unit can be less efficient because of the window opening you need to block properly to prevent heat from entering your home, but you can install several in your home to keep your home cool. A portable air conditioner is great, which you can move from room to room in your home, as needed. Just be sure you have access to vent the air conditioner to an outside window.

What Are the Capacity Options?

Once you decide the type of air conditioner you want to be installed in your home, you should look at your options in capacity or the air conditioner's BTU (British thermal units). The BTUs per hour of your air conditioner determines how much cooling power the unit has. The more BTUs your air conditioner has, the more space it will cool. For example, if your air conditioner creates 8,000 BTUs it can cool a room up to the size of approximately 350 square feet. To cool a home with 1,000 square feet, your air conditioner will need to output at least 21,000 BTUs.

Along with your air conditioner's BTUs, you also need to look at the layout of your home. If, for example, your home is made up of two floors and you are installing a wall or window system, you should consider installing two separate units. This can also help the output of your air conditioners and reduce your energy costs. An air conditioner installed upstairs would work harder to keep upstairs and downstairs cool than two units installed: one unit upstairs and one unit downstairs.

Also keep in mind of the air conditioner's capacity if you are cooling a room that has windows that receive direct sunlight during the day, as this can require more output. Cooling a kitchen will also require more BTUs because the heat your stove, oven, and fridge create. And the more people you have living in your home can also increase the BTU requirements of the air conditioner.


Share